Railway-tie holder



Jan. 17, 1928.

J. 'M. EWIG RAILWAY TIE HOLDER mp6 Sept. 1926 Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

7 JOHN M. EWIG, 013 NEW LEXINGTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OE ONE-THIRD TO EDGAR GH'UTE AND. ONE-THIRD T C. *I'L WISE, BOTH OF NEW LEXINGTON, OHIO.

nAILwlaYnrE HOLDER.

Application filed september s, 1926. serial No. 134,280.

The present invention relates to improvements in rail laying equipment and has articular reference to an improved tie hol mg device. An important object of the invention is to provide an improved tie holding tool which will greatly facilitate the laying and replacement of railway ties.

A furtherobject of the invention is the provision of a tool of the above character Another object of the invention s the pro: vision of a tie holding tool which 1S s mple and durable of construction, compact 111 design and which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. v i

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become tion progresses.

Inthe accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like reference characters are employedto desi nat'e corresponding parts through the same: j j i Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tool constructed in accordance with-my invention shrawn in operative position in association with a rail and tie, V

Figure 2is a top plan view of the tool,

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

F igure at is a similar view taken on the H p tion relative tothe lever body .13 and exline4='a of Figure 1. x

Referring to the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 generally designates the conventional form of railway tie shown in Figure l in operative position with respectto a pair of railway rails 11. It is customary, in'initially laying the ties or replacing the same, to securely hold the tie in its proper position with respect to the rail and then drive the securing spikes. At the present time, this is accomplished in various ways, usually em-.

apparent as the descripploying an apparatus which is cumbersome to handle and requires considerable time in the attachment thereof.

My invention is particularly designed to provide a tie laying tool of a simple nature which will expedite the securing of therail to the tie. \Vith this in mind, my improved tool consists of a lever 12 comprising a straight body 13 having a longitudinal handle portion 14 inclined upward at an obtuse angle with respect to the body portion 13 and terminating in an enlarged hand grip 15. Formed adjacent the hand-grip of the handle is an upwardly extended apertured ear 16 the purpose of which will later appear.

The inner or rear end of the lever is formed to provide an angular tie engaging project on comprising annpwardly pro ecting arm 17 and a transversely pro ecting horizontal arm 18 adapted to bear against the under side of the trees will be more specifically described hereinafter.

a clamping bar 19 comprising a bar portion 20 and an arcuate downwardly projecting extension 21. The lower extremity of the extesion 21 is pivotally connected with the lever by means of a pivot pin 22. As shown to advantage in Figure 1, the outer edge of the extension 21 is serrated to provide rack teeth 23. The outer end of the bar 20 is bent upon itself to provide an integral rail gripping aw 24, this aw being arranged to firmly grip the inner base flange of the rail 11. A jaw 25 comprising an angular jaw member is pivotally connected to the bar 20 by means of a pivot pin 26 preferably provided with a nut on'one end for tightening the said jaw in locked position. By this construction it willbe noted that the clamping member 19 is disposed in an offset positends upwardly and outwardly therefrom.

In order to facilitate operation of the lever 12 with respect to the auxiliary gripping member 19 suitable automatic locking mechanism is provided consisting of a pivoted Pivotally connected with the lever 12 is pawl 27 arranged for engagement with the ratchet teeth 23. Pivotally connected with the ear 16 is an angular hand lever 28 having a portion 29. A connecting rod 30 is connected to the portion 29 and to the pawl 27. Thepawl is normall held in engage-- ment with the ratchet teet by a leaf spring 31 secured to the forward end of the lever handle 14; and disposed between the same and the hand lever 28.

In use, the rail holding device is initially secured to the flange of the rail by slidably fitting the jaw 24 about the inner side of the rail base flange and adjusting the movable jaw 25 to engage the outer side of the flange, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The jaw 25 is secured in position by tightening the nut carried by the pivot pin. The rail tie 10 is then arranged in position beneath the rail and so that one end will rest upon the arm 18 ot the lever. The outer handle of the lever is then swung downwardly causing the inner tie engaging end to be swung upwardly against the tie and thus position the tie firmly against the lower face of the rail flange. The tie may be locked in this position by releasing the hand lever 28 so that the pawl 27 will engage the ratchet teeth 23. It is apparent, however, that during the downward swinging movement of the lever handle the hand lever is depressed, that is, the handle 28 is forced downwardly toward the lever handle to eliect retraction of the pawl 27. \Vhen the hand is removed from the hand lever 28 the pawl is autonia'tically thrown into engagement with the ratchet teeth and the lever locked with relation to the rail gripping member 19 so that the tie 10 will be firmly pressed against the 1 rail flange while the spikes are driven in place.

Thus, a simple and durable tie holding structure is provided, combining a compact as well as a conveniently operable structure which will greatly facilitate the attachment of the ties to the rails.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred example of the same, and that various changes as to the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. 7 Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: V j

1. A tie holding device comprising a lever, an offset projection formed at the outer end of the lever adapted to engage the under side of a tie, a gripping member extending above the projection of the lever and beyond the same, the member having an arcuate portion pivotally connected with the intermediate portion of the lever and provided with ratchet teeth, a jaw at the outer end of the gripping member adapted to engage the inner base flange of a rail, an adjustable jaw carried by the gripping member adapted to engage the outer base flange of a rail, a pawl pivotally connected with the lever adjacent the gripping member and adapted to normally engage the ratchet teeth on the gripping member, and means for actuating the pawl.

2. A tie holding device comprising a lever, an angular projection formed on the outer end of the lever including a' vertical arm and an arm extending laterally from the upper end of the vertical arm and adapted "to engage the under surface of a rail tie, a rail gripping member pivotally connected with the lever and including a body portion extending above the laterally extending arm of the lever and projecting outwardly beyond the. same, an integral jaw formed on the outer end of the rail gripping member adapted to engage the inner side of a rail base flange, the gripper member having an a'rcuate portion provided with ratchet teeth, an adjustable jaw mounted on the gripping member adapted to engage the outer side of a rail base flange, a pawl pivotally connected to the lever and e'ngageable with the ratchet teeth on the rail gripping men'iber, and means carried by the lever operable to actuate the pawl.

3. A device of the class described comprising a lever having an angular tie engaging portion at its outer end, a gripping member pivotally connected with the lever and ex tending in an elevated position above and outwardly beyond the engaging portion of the lever, gripping jaws at the outer end or the said gripping member to engage the opposite sides of the base flange of a rail,

and means for locking the lever and gripping member in position with the said en gaging portion of the lever in clamping engagement with the under side of the tie.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN M. EWIG. 

